A Zimbabwean film, Chipo’s Promise, which premiered at ZIFF 2008 has made its American debut. The short film which was directed by Tongai Furusa, is in the line up of 101 films from 46 countries being screened at the 17th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival (ADFF) in New York.

63 of the films at the festival are World, US and New York premieres.

The audience in the United States will have the opportunity for the first time to see the heartrending story told in Chipo’s Promise, that of a young girl from the townships in Harare who is forced to be a mother for her orphaned younger brother and sister, after their parents pass away due to AIDS.

The short film will be presented as part of the program Girl Stories, which also showcases short films from United States, White Like the Moon, and from Swaziland, Batjele,  portraying the life of young girls who have to grow up and become responsible at a very young age.

The festival is showcasing a rich variety of films coming from Africa, 42 films from and about Ghana, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Kenya, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia.
 
The presence of African talent shines in front of and behind the camera in NYADFF 2009. Tunde Kelani, David Dontoh, Aissa Maiga, John Kani, Khaled El Hagar, Wole Soyinka, Khady Sylla, Amilcar Cabral and Wangari Maathai are some of the bright and creative artists and intellectuals from the African continent featured in ADFF 2009.

The presence of Zimbabwean stories in the festival concludes with the projection of Nora by Alla Kovgan and David Hinton. Shot in Southern Africa, Nora is based on the childhood memories of the self-exiled dancer Nora Chipaumire, who was born in Zimbabwe in 1965. Using performance and dance, she brings her story to life in a swiftly-moving poem of sound and image.

For those interested in discovering a more thought provoking South African films with more depth and range. NYADFF 2009 is showcasing a selection of 9 recent and less recent films of great interest. Two highlights from South Africa are the directorial debut of renowned award-winning actor John Kani’s ADFF 2009 Opening Night Film Nothing but the Truth, and the 2010 South African Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film White Wedding by Jann Turner.  Nothing but the Truth was already awarded in Zimbabwe during the 2008 edition of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival, where John Kani’s talent was acknowledged in the categories of Best Actor and Best Screenplay.

The New York African Diaspora Film Festival emerged in New York’s cultural scene in 1993. Since then, it has reached over half a million people in its film festival and related activities.  During its 17 years of life, the festival has become one of the most important platforms to showcase African cinema in the United States. The festival has recognized Zimbabwean talent in the past with the premiere of other Zimbabwean films, such as Flame, by Ingrid Sinclair.

The 17th Annual New York African Diaspora Film Festival is made possible thanks to the support of the following institutions and individuals: ArtMattan Productions; TV5 Monde; Organization International de la Francophonie; L’Oreal USA; The Africa Channel; The French Cultural Services; The Consulate General of Switzerland in New York; The Martinique Bureau; The Village Voice; The Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University; The Institute for Research in African-American Studies and the French House at Columbia University; New York Theological Seminary; Council Member Inez E. [Bad Word]ens, 9th C.D., Speaker Christine Quinn, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Council in the Arts; New York State Senate Representative Bill Perkins;  and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

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Gillian Kaona   |2009-11-28 06:02:26 Chipo's story is a reflection off thousands of other young children in Zimbabwe who are now heading households. It's a hard knock life out there. Children torn out of school all the time so that they can look after siblings. Zvakaoma. Reply 0   0

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